Toy roundabout



Oct. 27, 1959 V A. DIETZE 2,910,295

' TOY ROUNDABOUT Filed May 2, 1957 1N VENT OR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofiice 2,910,295 Patented Oct. 27, 1959 TOY ROUNDABOUT Arthur Dietze, Somerville, NJ. Application May 2, 1957, Serial No. 656,579

13 Claims. (Cl. 272-31) This invention relates to toy merry go-rounds. It is an object of the invention to provide an improved toy merrygo-round which is of simple construction and adapted to be operated by a single actuator. A more particular ob ject of the invention is to provide a merry-go-round having figures which travel around the merry-go-ro-und in different directions and which turn aside in order to pass one another.

Another object of the invention is to provide a merrygo-round having inner and outer parts which rotate in different directions and having groups of figures which travel in opposite directions with the oppositely rotating parts of the merry-go-round; the figures moving in opposite directions along the same closed path except at locations where they must turn aside to pass one another.

The invention has a base with a track forming a closed path along which the figures of the merry-go-rou-nd travel, and there are side tracks into which selected figures are deflected to permit passing the other figures. The operation is interesting and amusing to children because the figures move toward one another as though about to have a head-on collision and just before meeting head-on, both figures turn aside to pass the other figure.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed out as the description proceeds.

In the drawing, forming a part hereof, in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a merry-go-round made in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Figure l and with the merry-go-round figures removed on one side of the drawing in order better to illustrate the construction;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the track and deflecting abutments located on top of the base of the merry-go-round shown in the other figures; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the track combined with a diagram illustrating the way in which the figures are deflected by the abutments located along the track. h

The merry-go-round shown in Figure 1 includes a base having a middle portion 11 which is of polyhedral shape and preferably provided with mirrors on the different walls of the polyhedron. The rnerry-go-round has a roof 12 and posts 14 extending downwardly from the roof to a level adjacent to the base 10. The base has a low wall 16 extending upwardly and concealing the lower ends of the posts 14. i

There are figures 18 located on the merry-go-round, and these figures follow a closed path around the middle part 11 in accordance with conventional merry-go-round operation. It is a feature of the invention that some of the figures 18 move in one direction while others move in the opposite direction. In order to simplify the construction, the figures 18 which are on the inside when the figures pass one another, rotate as a unit with the middle part 11 of the merry-go-round; and the outer figures 18 rotate as a unit with the roof 12 and posts 14.

Figure 2 shows the operating mechanism for the merrygo-round. The base 10 is hollow. It has a hub 20 from which-a center post 22 extends upwardly. There is an inner sleeve 24 which rotates on the fixed center post 22; and there is an outer sleeve 26 which rotates on the inner sleeve 24.

The inner sleeve 24 extends upwardly beyond the top of the outer sleeve 26, and the roof 12 is integrally connected to the inner sleeve 24. The posts 14 are secured to the roof 12. The lower ends of the posts 14 are connected to a ring 30 by pins 32.

There is a platform 36 secured to the side walls of the base 10 and forming an integral part of the base. There is a track groove 38 formed in the top surface of the platform 36. This track 38 forms a closed path around the center axis of the merry-go-round, as shown in Figure 3. Along part, and only part, of the length of the track 38, there are side tracks 3%. in the preferred construction, the track 38 changes direction where it meets the side tracks 39 so that figures travelling in opposite directions, along the single track portion of the track 38, will deflect their travel in opposite directions when they come to the beginning of a side track. However; the invention can be made with the track 38 circular and with the irregular path formed by the side track only, though this does not make the operation of the merry-go-round as attractive.

In order to make the track 38 an undercut groove, there are upper parts 42 and 43 (Figure 2) of the platform 36 which extend over opposite edges of the track groove 38 and these upper parts 42 are secured to the lower part of the platform 36 by cement or in any other suitable manner, to form an integral platform construction.

Each of the figures 18 includes a bottom carriage 46 to which the other part of the figure is rigidly connected by spaced studs 48. This carriage slides along the platform 36. The studs 48 extend through the carriage 46 and are rigidly connected to it. Below the carriage 46, the studs 48 extend through the slot of track 38 or side track 39, and there are heads 50 on the lower ends of the studs 48.

The bottom carriage 46 of each figure 18 is substantially wider than the track slot and provides the bearing surface on which the figure 1'8 slides along the platform 36. The stud heads 50, which are integrally connected to the lower ends of the studs 48, and preferably of one-piece construction therewith, are narrow enough to fit freely in the lower undercufpart of the track groove 38, but are wider than the track groove above them so that the figures 18 are restrained against upward displacement. This prevents them from being removed from the merry-go-round and lost.

There is a spoke 54 extending radially inward from the ring 30. This spoke extends freely through an opening in the carriage 46 and propels the figure 18 along the track as the ring 38 rotates as a unit with the posts 14 and roof 12. Because of the fact that the spoke '54 is a free sliding fit through the opening in the carriage 46, the figure 18 is free to move lengthwise of the spoke 54, that is, radially on the merry-go-round, to follow the deviations in the track. It will be understood that the opening in the carriage 46, through which the spoke 54 extends, is large enough to provide the clearance necessary for some shifting of the direction of travel of the figure -18 with changes in the direction of the track 68 or side tracks 39.

A similar spoke 56 extends radially outward from the lower end of the middle part '11 of the merry-go-round. This spoke 56 extends through a carriage of the inner figure 18 and operates to propel this inner figure along I 3 the track as the middle part '11 rotates. The opening in the carriage of the figure 18 through which the spoke 56 extends is indicated in Figure 4 by the reference character 60. This opening is'preferably a slot in the bottom of the carriage 46, such an opening being the most economical to make when manufacturing the toy.

There are similar spokes 54 and '56 (Figure 2) at angularly spaced locations around the ring 30 and around the middle part 11 of the merrysgo-round for operating each of the figures 18 of the merry-go-round.

Within the base there is a lower bevel gear 62 and an upper'bevel gear 64. These gears are rotated by a common driving gear 66 secured to a shaft 68 which is rotated by an actuator, here shown as a crank 78. Since the gears 62 and 64 are located one below and the other above the driving gear 66, they rotate in opposite directions. It is sufficient that the gears 62 and 64 be made of light material; and in order to prevent them from deflecting where they mesh with the driving gear 66, there is a thrust bearing 72 under the gear 62 at a region close to the driving gear 66, and the upper gear 64 contacts with the bottom surface of the platform 36.

The lower gear 62 is connected to the inner sleeve 24 by connecting jaws 76, and the upper gear '64 is connected with the outer sleeve 26 by similar connecting jaws 78. The outer sleeve 26 is, in turn, connected with the middle part 11 of the merry-go-round by connecting jaws 80. This construction facilitates the assembly of the merry-goround during manufacture.

The shaft 68 preferably has a pall and ratchet 82 for preventing children from turning the crank 70 in the wrong direction. On the side of the base 10 opposite the crank 76, or at any other convenient location, there is a music box 84 driven from the gears 62 and 64 by a bevel gear 86 which meshes with these gears 62 and 6-4. This connection causes the music box to play whenever the merry-go-round is in operation.

Figure 4 shows the way in which a carriage 46 is guided along the track 38. The studs 48, of which there are two for each of the figures 18, are spaced from one another lengthwise of the carriage 46. These studs 48 have a diameter only slightly less than the width of the slot of the track '38, and its side tracks 39; and the studs 48 contact with the sides of the track slot as necessary to keep the carriage 46 moving in the direction in which the track slot extends.

The only place where any other guidance is necessary is at the beginning of each side track 39 where the forward stud 48 might strike against a switch point 92 at the juncture of the side track 39 and the main track 38. To prevent the forward stud 48 from striking the switch point 92, there are abutments 94 extending upward from the platform 36 in positions to co-operate with a cam surface 97 at the edge of the carriage 46. There are other abutments 95 for preventing the carriages that are moving in the opposite direction from striking the switch points at the other end of the side tracks 39. The abutments 94 and 95 are low so that the spokes '54 and 56 .(Figure 2) can pass over them.

Thus, in Figure 4, the cam surface 97 of the carriage 4'6 strikes the abutment 94, just before the forward stud 48 reaches the switch point 92, and the cam surface 97 in contact with the abutment 94 deflects the carriage 46 toward the right in Figure 4 to bring the forward stud 48 into the slot of track 38 as the carriage 46 moves toward the position shown in dash lines in Figure 4. Another cam surface 99 on the side of the carriage 46 toward its rearward end contacts with the abutment 94, just before the rearward stud 48 reaches the switch point 92 and causes the rearward stud 48 to follow the forward stud 48 along the track 38.

In similar manner the abutment 95 at the other end of the side track 39 deflects the studs of the figures of the group moving along the track in the opposite direction and causes these figures to follow the side tracks 39, There 4 are abutments 94 and 95 at opposite ends of each of the side tracks along the entire length of the track 38.

It will be apparent from Figure 1 that each of the merry-go-round figures 18 extends for a substantial distance ahead of its forward stud 48. In the preferred construction this distance is almost equal to one-half of the length of one of theside tracks 39 so that the figures 18 continue to approach each other from opposite directions until they almost collide head-on. Just before such a collision, the cam surfaces on the carriages of the respective figures 18 contact with the abutments 94 and 95 and deflect the figures 18 in different directions to pass one another.

The preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, but changes and modifications can be made, and some features can be used in different combinations, without departing from the invention as defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A toy merry-go-round including a base having a generally horizontal top, a track on the top of the base and extending in a closed path and having side tracks leading 011? from the first track and back again at Y connections along spaced parts of the length of the first track, said track being single along substantial portions of its length between side tracks two figures that travel around the track,a common actuator for both figures, motion-transmitting connections through which the actuator moves the different figures in opposite directions along the track, and deflector means along the track in position to deflect one of the figures to a side track as the figures approach closely to one another while travelling in opposite directions with at least one of the figures moving along a portion of the track where the track is single.

2. The toy merry-go-round described in claim 1 and in which each of the figures includes a bottom carriage resting on the base and slideable along the surface of the base as the figures move along the track, and the deflector means include abutments along the single portion of the track and at the region of the beginning of each of the side tracks for deflecting the figure that is to follow the side track.

3. The toy merry-go-round described in claim 2 and in which there is a cam surface on the carriage in position to contact with the abutments along the track for determining the transverse movement of the figure as it shifts into position to follow the side track.

4. The toy merry-go-round described in claim 1 and in which the track and the side tracks consist of undercut slots in the base and the bottom carriage of each figure has an upper frame wider than the upper part of the slot and slideable along the top of the base above the slot for preventing downward displacement of the figures, and a lower frame that fits into the bottom portion of the undercut slot and that is wider than the part of the slot above said bottom portion of the carriage whereby the figures are held against upward displacement.

5. The toy merry-go-round described in claim 1 and in which the merry-go-round has a middle element that rotates about an axis, and an outer element that rotates about substantially the same axis, driving connections that rotate the middle and outer elements in the opposite directions, a spoke extending radially outwardly from the middle element, another spoke extending radially inwardly from the outer element, said middle element, outer element and spokes comprising parts of the motion-trans- 'rnitting connections for moving the figures along the track.

6. A merry-go-round including a base having a generally horizontal top, a track on the top of the base and extending in a closedpath and having side tracks leading off from the first track and back again along part, and only part, ofthelength of the first track, two figures that tra el around the track, a common actuator for both ,5 figures, motion-transmitting connections through which the actuator moves the different figures in opposite directions along the track, guide means that deflect one of the figures to a side track as the figures approach closely to one another while traveling in opposite directions along the first track, the merry-go-round having a middle part that rotates about an axis, and an outer part that rotates about substantially the same axis but in the opposite direction, a spoke extending radially outwardly from the middle part, another spoke extending radially inwardly from the outer part, said middle part, outer part and spokes comprising elements of the motion transmitting connections for moving the figures along the track, each of the figures including a bottom carriage resting on the base and slideable along the surface of the base, and

each of the spokes extending through one of the carriages with a sliding fit whereby the spokes propel the carriages and the figures along the track but leave them free to move away from and closer to the axis of rotation of the spokes and the parts by which the spokes are carried.

7. The toy merry-go-round described in claim 6 and in which the middle part of the merry-go-round is a housing with a polyhedral wall and mirrors on the outside of the different surfaces of the polyhedron, and the outer part includes a roof over the merry-go-round and posts around the outside edge of the roof and extending downwardly to a level adjacent the base, and there is a low wall extending up from the base outside of the posts and concealing the lower ends of the posts.

8. The toy merry-go-round described in claim 1 and in which there is only a single track along sections of the length of the track between said side tracks and the track is substantially circular where single and deviates from its circular path at each location Where it meets one of the side tracks, and each of the side tracks deviates from the circular path of the main track in a different direction from which the track itself deviates, whereby the merrygo-round figures travel in opposite directions along the same circular course while traversing the single track portions of said track and a merry-go-round figure which follows the track and one which follows'the side track will deviate in opposite directions from their course of travel when they come to a side track.

9. The toy merry-go-round described in claim 8 and in which each of the merry-go-round figures extends forwardly for a substantial distance ahead of the part of the figure that follows the track or side track, and this forwardly extending portion of the figure is slightly less than one-half of the length of each side track so that the forward ends of the figures moving in opposite directions approach close to a head-on collision before being deflected along the side track and the change in direction of the first track.

10. A toy merry-go-round including a fixed base having a generally circular and horizontal top surface, a center post extending upwardly from the base, an inner sleeve that rotates on the post, an outer sleeve that rotates on the inner sleeve, two gears located below the top of the base and one of which is connected with the outer sleeve and the other of which is connected with the inner sleeve, common actuating means that rotates the gears in opposite directions, two diflierent groups of figures, each group having a plurality of figures angularly spaced around the center post, connections through which the figures of one group are moved around the merry-goround by one gear and the inner sleeve, and other connections by which the figures of the other group are moved around the rnerry-go-round by the other gear and the outer sleeve.

11. The toy merry-go-round described in claim 10 and in which the gears are bevel gears confronting one another and both meshing with a smaller gear between them, the smaller gear constituting part of the actuating means.

12. The toy merr-y-go-round described in claim 11 and in which the gears are held against flexing, and resulting disengagement with the smaller gear, by thrust bearing surfaces behind each of the gears at the region of the smaller gear and on the sides of the larger gears opposite said smaller gear.

13. A toy merry-go-round including a fixed base having a generally circular and horizontal top surface, a center post extending upwardly from the base, an inner sleeve that rotates on the post, an outer sleeve that rotates on the inner sleeve, two gears located below the top of the base of one of which is connected to the outer sleeve, common actuating means that rotates the gears in opposite directions, two different groups of figures, each group having a plurality of figures angularly spaced around the center post, connections through which the figures of one group are moved around the merry-go-round by the inner sleeve, and other connections by which the figures of the other group are moved around the merry-go-round by the outer sleeve, and in which the gears are bevel gears confronting one another and both meshing with a smaller gear between them, the smaller gear constituting part of the actuating means and the gears being held against flexing and resulting disengagement with the smaller gear by thrust bearing surfaces behind each of the gears and at the region of the smaller gear and on the sides of the larger gears opposite the smaller gears, and in which the figures of both groups move along guiding means in a closed path around a middle part of the merry-go-round extending upwardly from said horizontal top surface, and there are means connecting said middle part with the inner sleeve, and motion-transmitting connections through which the middle part of the merry-go-round moves the figures of one group around their path, a roof over the merry-go-round, the roof being connected to the upper end of the inner sleeve and rotatable as a unit therewith, posts extending downwardly from the circumferential portion of the roof and at angularly spaced locations around the center post, a ring connecting the lower ends of the posts and located radially outward from the figures, and motion transrnitting connections through which the ring moves the figures of the other group around their path.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 12,435 Weidner Jan. 9, 1906 826,758 Weidner July 24, 1906 2,066,239 Tahsler Dec. 29, 1936 2,444,906 Assendrup July 13, 1948 

